Further In February. . .

Now that we're into February, it's time to get to work on Sharon's TIF theme and color scheme for the month.  But while you're looking at my February supply stash above, let me back up just a bit and share my thought process in arriving at the decision for my piece. 

It occurred to me that I had executed a February theme for January's color scheme with "Love Reigns" :  Valentine's.  It further occurred to me that somewhere deep in my mind, I was already planning November's piece, which like all the others, would be finished at the end of the month, to somehow tie in with Christmas, or at least the month of December, and that the last piece, finished by December 31st, would somehow fit January.  With minimal conscious awareness, I had planned the TIF challenge to be a calendar year series, and further still,  I had very consciously set the size for each piece at 8-1/2" X 11" in order to fit my smaller-but-clearer flatbed scanner. And now, into February, I realized that whatever the theme, whatever the color scheme, I had to be thinking "March".

So, with Sharon's February pallet in mind, a couple of days ago when the whole family was in the car I asked everyone what kinds of images emerge when one thinks of March.  I was thinking March winds, March Hare, and the advent of spring on March 21st.  All fine, but not quite in keeping with Sharon's chosen theme which happens to be "things (you're) old enough to remember".  Certainly I remember spring, but it continues to be spring each year.  And the March Hare I was introduced to as a child - - I have that memory, but he's still right there in Alice In Wonderland anytime I want to stop back and re-visit him.  Winds?  Not really relevant.  It's too often windy.  So what then?? 

My kids answered, "I don't know", and went back to whatever they were talking about.  My husband rattled off things like, "Isn't Easter in March?", and "soldiers march, don't they?". . .and then he said it. . ."What about  the March of Dimes?"  Bingo!  That was it!

For all of you outside of North America, and anyone under 30, the original concept March of Dimes may not be something you know of.  It was the largest and most successful fundraising campaign in U.S. history.  The largest for its time (certainly more money has been raised for other causes since), and historically the most successful, because originally, the March of Dimes was the door-to-door drive to raise money to fund research to wipe out Polio.  And it did fund the research that enabled the discovery of the Salk vaccine to prevent Polio.

Every residential area in every city had a block leader.  That person went door-to-door giving out dime cards - - cards that held $2 worth of American dimes (10 cent pieces).  At the end of the week, all the cards were collected and shipped off to the March of Dimes.  It was a grass-roots community effort.  Today the march continues, but it's efforts in the U.S. have turned to fighting birth defects.

It is the original March of Dimes that I remember.  I collected dimes for my school and went door-to-door with my mother, collecting for the cause.  So, with all this said, I'll begin my piece for February as a collage of valuable little circles - - my dimes - - in a collection of 20, much like the dime card pictured above, only prettier. Definitely, it is something old enough to remember.

Comments

[Kay]

Kudos to your husband for thinking of this perfect idea! I hadn't thought of those for years. I'm old enough to remember the Red Cross boxes that school children filled to send somewhere, to displaced people after WWI, I guess. It's been so enjoyable to see what people remember for this challenge.

[judy harper]

Oh yes - I remember the March of Dimes!! Kudos to your daughter (re: your comment on my blog) for NO body piercings. My mother went a number of years later to the same doctor to get her ears pierced, as it had become high fashion by then - the doctor nearly expired of laughter remembering her tantrums over mine.

[Gwen]

What an awesome idea, and I love the way that you have tied in the memory to March! Your thought process is fascinating. I never thought of having my TIFs reflect the months of the year, though I do plan to collect them into some kind of portfolio, as a finished piece.

I of course remember March of Dimes, and not being able to go to the circus when I was very little because it was "polio season", according to my mother.

What a huge relief it must have been for our mothers to have that vaccine!

[pat]

This is fascinating, I am loving all these memories and look forward to your "dimes". Thank you for the comment on my post.

[Ati]

A good idea for the tif challenge. I'm looking forward to the end result.

[Fiona D]

this is so fascinating - I am learning so much that is new to me from reading everyone's memories from so many different times and places.